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Angraecum platycornu Hermans, P.J.Cribb & Bosser, Orchid Rev. 110: 22 (2002).
Description:
An erect or spreading epiphytic herb up to 19cm long; roots up to 30cm long, 1.5mm in diameter, verrucose. Stems up to 14cm long, 2-3mm in diameter, with side branches emerging from the leafless main stems, enveloped by leaf sheaths. Leaves 6-8 per stem, 50-60 x 5-7mm, shortly petiolate (2-3mm), linear, almost equally bilobed (1mm) at the end, central vein prominent, especially underneath. Inflorescence short, one-flowered; peduncle 10 x 0.75mm with a small, 0.75 x 1mm sheath towards the base; floral bract short, 2 x 1mm, apiculate, enveloping the base of the pedicel. Flower glabrous, apparently borne below the leaves, pale yellow/white, iridescent, overall size 20mm high, c. 17mm wide, 34mm deep including the spur, all parts clearly veined; pedicel and ovary 34 x 1-2.5mm. Dorsal sepal obovate, obtuse, 1 1 x 7mm; lateral sepals obliquely elliptic-obovate, 13 x 10mm. Petals oblong-elliptic, obtuse, 10 x 3-5mm, obscurely three-veined. Lip almost entire to obscurely three-lobed, with two sides upcurved and parallel to the column, gradually merging into the spur; lamina 16 x 11mm (when spread out); spur curved and horn-shaped, somewhat flattened, 29-34mm long, at the base c. 14 x 8mm in cross-section, gradually narrowing into a blunt tip. Column 6mm long, with a distinct incurved rostellar tooth 1mm long, slightly shorter than the rostellum wings which are rounded; anther-cap 2 x 2.5mm; pollinia 2, hard and glabrous, c. 1mm in diameter, with a deep longitudinal fold; viscidia globular and amorphous.
Habitat:
Growing at base of trunk on moss laden small trees c. 3-4m high, less than 10cm dbh (diameter at breast height).
Cultivation:
As given for the genus.
Notes:
In habit this unusual species is similar to the African A. conchiferum Lindl. with an elongate stem bearing linear, distichous leaves. Amongst the Madagascan species, it may be closest to A. germinyanum Hook. and its allies. However, its flower is very distinctive in Angraecum, easily recognised by its lip lamina which is much broader than long, very obscurely 3-lobed, and with a broad-mouthed, horn-like spur at its base. Its rostellum is also distinctive in having a distinctive short tooth between the large lateral lobes.
Angraecum conchiferum and A. germinyanum have a broad-mouthed spur but the orifice is narrower, the apical part of the spur is more or less cylindrical and both have a much more obvious and longer lip lamina. They also have an obscurely three-lobed rostellum but that of A. platycornu is more pronounced and the mid-lobed distinctly tooth-like.
Distribution:
NE. Madagascar
Reference:
Perrier de la Bathie, H. (1941) Orchidées 2. In Humbert, H. (ed.), Flore de Madagascar, 49th fam. MNHN, Paris; J. Hermans, P. J. Cribb and J. Bosser . A distinctive new species of Angraecum from Madagascar, 22 ORCHID REVIEW VOL 110,20,2002
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Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission.	Photograph Gilles Grunenwald. Image used with kind permission.